Andrew Jackson Tavern Chimney

One of the most laborious parts of the tavern restoration was building the chimney by hand. A large portion of the reclaimed rock that had been stockpiled on Foxfire Farm was used to build the chimney. Payton and Colonel decided it should be about 28 feet high, reaching a few feet above the rooftop.

Watch the video as the chimney is built from the ground up.

Take the photo tour, too . . .

Payton had his plans drawn out to guide the process. They started by digging the base of the chimney which yielded the big pile of dirt off to the side.

Several 80 lb. bags of concrete were used for the base, and an estimated ton of sand went into 1,400 lbs. of mortar. This chimney should not be going anywhere. From the baseline, they continued up with the chimney. Payton strategically picked out each rock and fit them by hand, chiseling some along the way so they would fit correctly.

Larger rock was chosen for the base, and the higher they went, the smaller the rock. Near the half way point, scaffolding went up and a front-end loader aided in lifting the rock up high.

Corey holds up the LAST ROCK for the chimney! It was almost as joyous as reaching the summit of Mt. Everest.

Protecting the flue at the top completed the chimney. Thanks to Corey for taking this picture from the very top of the chimney.

Then the scaffolding came down. They were proud of this amazing chimney and rightfully so.

Corey and Payton, the masterful masons behind this impressive chimney.

Inside, the hearth was finished off with a custom mantle. Colonel found a vintage fireplace hearth crane, circa 18th century, that was perfect for hanging an old pot to replicate the way meals were cooked 200 years ago. Unfortunately, all the salvaging from old home demolitions did not reveal this hearth crane; Ebay did. But, nonetheless, it’s an authentic piece.

A coat of paint has been added to the walls, but the walls aren’t done. Join us for our next post as we put on the finishing touches and reveal the finished tavern!